LUBBOCK, Texas — JT Toppin and No. 12 Texas Tech continue to showcase their resilience.
Toppin achieved another double-double with 31 points and 12 rebounds as the Red Raiders defeated No. 6 Houston, 90-86, on Saturday. They dominated the boards and managed to overcome an impressive 42-point performance from true freshman Kingston Flemings.
“They did an incredible job on the offensive boards,” said Houston coach Kelvin Sampson. “They mirrored what we’ve become known for against other teams.”
Texas Tech (16-4, 6-1 Big 12) finished the game with a 44-28 advantage in rebounding, securing 21 offensive boards that resulted in 22 second-chance points.
“There were some serious blows exchanged during that game. I mean, every time a shot went up, it was like literal combat,” Tech coach Grant McCasland commented. “It’s a tough style of play.”
This certainly reinforces McCasland’s key motto for the Red Raiders: “Toughest Team Wins.”
Tech is on a five-game winning streak since a 69-65 defeat to Houston on Jan. 6 and has achieved consecutive Saturday victories against highly-ranked teams with long winning streaks. The Cougars came in with an 11-game winning streak overall and had set a Big 12 record with 16 straight true road game victories over the last two years.
BYU, ranked 11th at the time, had a 13-game winning streak snapped by Tech in an 84-71 loss last weekend.
Houston (17-2, 5-1), second nationally in points allowed at only 60.1 per game, trailed 55-49 at halftime on Saturday. That marked the highest points they’d surrendered in a half during Sampson’s 12 years at the helm, and it was only the third time an opponent scored 90 against them in regulation, according to ESPN Research. Memphis accomplished this twice, in 2016 and 2018.
Flemings’ 42 points tied him for the most ever by a Houston player in a game against a Top 25 opponent, as per ESPN. He became the first player to score 40 points for a Sampson-coached team since Brian Quinnett recorded 44 for Washington State in 1989.
“Kingston carried us and put us in a position to win,” Sampson remarked. “We just didn’t control the boards well enough.”
There were eight lead changes and eight ties in the contest, whereby Houston held a lead for 18 minutes. Tech led for 18:12, including the final 5:55 after Donovan Atwell hit a go-ahead three-pointer, followed by another just 34 seconds later, both assisted by big man Toppin.
The Red Raiders are 11-0 at home this season and have won nine of their last ten games, the sole loss being to Houston. Tech was the only Big 12 team to defeat the Cougars last season when they were conference champions and national runners-up.
Toppin’s 44 career double-doubles are second among active players, trailing only Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg (48). Toppin has achieved 32 in 52 games with Tech after transferring from New Mexico following his freshman season.
“I just focus on what I do best, playing for my team,” Toppin said. “We kept supporting each other. I love these guys.”
